Today's Extreme Sports Seniors

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It is well-known that staying active is the best way to have a healthy and emotionally satisfying retirement, but some seniors go way beyond the typical guidelines of taking walks and socializing on a regular basis. In fact, a lot of today's seniors are participating in extreme sports to keep their heart rate up. After all, there is nothing like jumping out of an airplane to make you feel more alive than you have ever felt before.

Skydiving 70 Times in One Day
Larry Ekstrom from Madison, Michigan is a prime example of a person who has not let age keep him from living on the edge. Ekstrom enjoys skydiving so much that he recently celebrated his 70th birthday by skydiving 70 times in one day. According to Ekstrom, he has skydived almost 13,500 times in his life, and this is the second time that he has celebrated a birthday by jumping once for each year of his life. He plans to continue this tradition by skydiving 80 times on his 80th birthday.

Cycling through the Woods
Dale Reynolds not only pushes himself to mountain bike over treacherous terrain, but he also leads a group of other seniors with him on most of his adventures. Reynolds admits that some of the obstacles he has faced have caused him to wipe out on his bike, but he refuses to stay sedentary. Reynolds gets excited each time he has the opportunity to experience the world from a bike, instead of a car.

Leading Hikers through the Mountains
Norma Butt is a 77-year-old woman who volunteers to lead groups of hikers to the top of Whistler Mountain in British Columbia. Butt has made the trek so many times that she is able to easily hike to the top without feeling fatigued. Most of the younger people who she leads to the top have a difficult time keeping up with Butt's stamina, but for her it is simply another day spent enjoying the splendor of the mountain.

Skiing throughout Life
Russ White is 88, and he also works at Whistler Mountain. Instead of taking on a desk job, however, he spends every day teaching people how to ski. White has explained in interviews that most of the other jobs he tried were boring, but he enjoys skiing and therefore it made perfect sense for him to join the crew at Whistler Mountain as their oldest ski instructor. White does more than simply teach people the basics; he also skis on a regular basis during his off-time.

Remaining Active
Whether you are interested in participating in an extreme sport or simply going for a stroll around the neighborhood, it is vital to continue being physically active. Not only will it help you feel better physically, but it will also have a great impact on your mental health. Our adviser at a respected assisted living Alpharetta GA community tells us that their residents say they feel happier and healthier after they engage in activities that require more of them physically.

Regardless of whether you live at home or in a retirement community, you should find an activity partner and take steps to ensure that you are both physically and socially active several times a week.

Kelly Kovacic is a paralegal and contributing writer for Dogwood Forest, a well-known assisted living Alpharetta GA retirement community that offers a large variety of activities for seniors. Studies have shown that staying physically active in your retirement can have a profound impact on your happiness, so try something new to give your body and mind a good workout today.